Diabetes burden in Asia: the role of metabolic surgery

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is one of the largest epidemics the world has ever faced. As a result of rapid economic development and urbanization, Asia has the fastest-growing population affected by T2DM worldwide due to the shift to a sedentary lifestyle and over-nutrition status. The understandings of genetic predisposition have elucidated the potential connection between obesity and T2DM in the Asian populations. On the other hand, the Asian populations tend to have android adiposity, which may further contribute to the pathogenesis of T2DM. In this article, we’ll discuss the potential role of metabolic surgery in the management of T2DM in the Asian populations.